Intake and exhaust control system for mine locomotives



A ril 23, 1940. w. F. ECKERT INTAKE AND-EXHAUST CONTROL SYSTEM FOR MINE LOCOMOTIVES 3 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed March 31, 1938 ORNE P 3, 1940. w. F. 'ECKERT 2,197,854

INTAKE AND EXHAUST CONTROL SYSTEM FOR IIINE LOCOMOTIVES FilOd March 31, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIIIIIII 53 ulllllllllll um NH n: [MM WMHWI 54 llllllllll/lllllllllllllll,

INVENTOR WILLIAM F. E'cKEeT fi yg A ril 23, 1940. w. F. ECKERT INTAKE AND EXHAUST CONTROL SYSTEM FOR MINE LOCOMOTiVES Filed March 31, 1938 3 she etssheet 3 1/ IIIIIIIIIIIIIVIIIIIIIIII INVENTOR WILLIAM F". ECKEBT ATTRNEY Patented Apr. 23, 1940 PATENT OFFICE .m'raxn AND EXHAUST CONTROL SYSTEM FOR MINE LOCOMOTIVES William F. Eckert, Ridley Park, Pa.

Application March 31, 1938, Serial No. 199,312

8 Claims.

The possibility of backfiring by an internal combustion engine is an inherent hazard which must be completely controlled in an internal combustion engine mine locomotive to prevent the obvious possibility of disaster in a mine. Various arrangements have been heretofore suggested or used but they have been deficient in a great many respects such as being incapable of efliciently controlling back fire through the inu take manifold and at the same time providing -manifold under normal pressure.

an adequate supply of clean air to the intake These prior arrangements have also been deficient on the exhaust side in that they create excessive back pressure particularly during extended operation when carbon accumulates and cakes in'the flame control passages.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved flame control system, for an internal combustion engine of a mine'locomotive, whereby minimum resistance is oflered to the flow of gases on either. the intake or exhaust side of the engine while at the same time completely preventing any flame in the intake or exhaust manifolds to discharge into the open atmosphere.

Another object is to provide an improved flame control system in which certain of the flame control passages most susceptible to accumulation of carbon may be kept clean in a convenient manner by the locomotive operator.

A further object is to provide an improved flame control system which insures complete dissipation of the heated exhaust gases into the open atmosphere together with maximum dilution of the exhaust gases with relatively fresh air prior to discharge of the gases into the open mine atmosphere. Another object in this respect is to provide an improved combination whereby the means for diluting and dissipating the exhaust gases is adapted to further function in dissipating the heat of combustion of the engine, thereby providing an integrated system for controlling heat conditions incident to the operation of an internal combustion engine whether such heat be in the nature of back firing from the engine or from any tendency of excessive heating of the engine.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a mine locomotive embodying my improved system, parts of which are in section to show details of construction;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1 with certain other parts in section to show details of construction;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view, partially broken away, of my improved intake labyrinth and the air filter connected thereto;

Fig. 4 shows a transverse section of the intake labyrinth taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 and shows the air filter in elevation;

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4 showing a portion of the flame baflles and carbon cleaning means;

Fig. 7 is' an enlarged perspective of one passage forming element and the cooperating carbon removing blades for said element;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view of the exhaust labyrinth; v

Fig. 9 is a transverse section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a transverse section taken on the line Iii-I0 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken on the line |lll of Fig. 2.

In the particular embodiment of the invention such as is disclosed herein merely for the purpose of illustrating one specific form among possible others that the invention might take in practice,

I have shown the invention as applied to an internal combustion engine mine locomotive havcommon shaft H which is driven by a belt or other suitable means l2 from the engine shaft 4. The fan passage discharges to the atmosphere through a lateral outlet l3 covered with a suitable screen l4. Intake air for the engine initially enters any suitable and well-known form of air cleaner l1 and thence flows through a pipe i8 and an intake labyrinth generally indicated at l9 to the engine cylinders, the exhaust from the engine passing into a. usual exhaust manifold and thence successively through a pipe 2|, a flame extinguishing tank 22, a cross pipe 23, a second flame extinguishing tank 24, a pipe and an exhaust labyrinth 23 which discharges through a pipe 21 into a fan chamber 28. The flame extinguishing tanks 22 and 24- are identical in construction and preferably have as shown in Fig. 1 a series of upper and lower staggered baflles and 3|. One of these baflies 32 may, if desired, project slightly into any suitable liquid such as water or other fire extinguishing liquid 33 contained in the lower half of each tank 22 and 24 although bafiie 32 may be slightly above the liquid level the same as bafile 3i After the air passes through the air filter I? and into the pipe l8, it then flows downwardly as shown in Fig. 4 into a longitudinal chamber 34 of the labyrinth housing IS. A shaft 35 extends longitudinally of chamber 34 in the upper portion thereof and is rotatably joumalled in bearings 36 formed in the ends of housing [9. A series of discs 31 are keyed to shaft 35 and are spaced from each other by washers 33, Fig. '7. These discs extend for the full length of chamber 34 as shown in Fig. 5. Cleaning blades 39 are disposed between each of the discs 3'! and have edges 40 in scraping contact with the sides thereof. The blades 39 are supported upon a shaft 4! and are provided with a curved recess 42 engaging the periphery of spacing washers 38 which provide an upper support for the blades. Laterally curved surfaces 43" of blades 39 fit snugly against a complementary curved surface of a passage wall 44. Similarly the periphery of discs 31 rotatably engage a curved surface 45 at the top of housing i9 and also engage a curved portion of passage wall 44. The intake air flows from chamber 34 laterally through the multiplicity of parallel narrow spaces between the discs 31 and thence into a longitudinal passage 46 formed by walls 44 and 45. Chamber 45 can have any suitable number of points of communication with the engine 3 for distributing air to the engine intake valves. Two such points of connection are shown at 41 and 48. The narrow spaces between the series of discs 37 provide a very efiective means for preventing or retarding the travel of any flame from the engine backwardly through connections 41 and 48 to pipe it. The possibility of a flame in the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine is, of course, well known due to backfiring or other improper operation of the engine.

To insure that the narrow passages between the discs 37 will always be clean, the operator may place a suitable crank upon a square end 50, Fig. 5, of the disc shaft 35 and rotate the same with discs 31 so that the blade portions 40 will scrape from the side surfaces of discs 31 any accumulation of carbon or other foreign matter. The scraped carbon will drop to the bottom of chamber 34 and be removed therefrom at suitable intervals by removal of a lower cover plate 5|. By supporting the blades 39 at their lower end on shaft 4|, the upper ends of the blades are more or less free to move thereby insuring good scraping contact with discs 37.

After the exhaust gases pass successively through exhaust manifold 23, pipe 2i, flame extinguishing tank 22, cross pipe 23 and flame extinguishing tank 24, Fig. 2, the exhaust thence continues through pipe 25 to the exhaust labyrinth 26. This exhaust labyrinth is identical in principle to the intake labyrinth but specifically differs therefrom in the following details. The

pipe 25 has axial communication with one end of a longitudinal chamber 53 which has a longitudinal passage 54 communicating with narrow passages between a series of discs 55 corresponding to discs 31. The periphery of discs 55 have a close rotatable fit with semi-circular walls 53 and 51 which terminate in a lower chamber 53. The discs 55 are spaced apart by washers similar to 38, Fig. 7, and are keyed to a shaft 53 concentric with the walls 56 and 51. Scraping blades 50 are supported at their lower ends upon a rod 8| while the upper ends of the blades have curved surfaces 92 and 63 engaging respectively a curved surface 51' and the periphery of the spacing washers 64 between discs 55. The two curved portions 62 and 63 terminate in a diagonal end 65 constituting the scraping blade portion. The blade supporting rod Si is rigidly supported in the ends of labyrinth housing 26 while disc shaft 59 is journalled in suitable bosses 61, Fig. 1, in the ends of said housing.

For convenience of operation, shaft 59 extends a substantial distance rearwardly to a point ad- Jacent the operator's seat 68. The operator can thereby conveniently rotate shaft 59 by a handle 59 at very frequent intervals which is particularly desirable because the exhaust labyrinth is the point of maximum accumulation of carbon or other foreign matter. Carbon that is scraped off of disc 55 falls to the bottom of chamber 53 and can be removed therefrom by removal of a lower cover 13, Fig. 9.

The exhaust gases flow from chamber 58 into discharge pipe 21, Figs. 2, 8 and 9, extending preferably in a downstream direction to provide a Pitot tube action within the fan chamber 28. The blowers I0 cause air to be circulated laterally inwardly of engine water cooling radiators 1 and 8, Fig. 2, and thence axially to the left through chamber 28 to thoroughly mix fresh air with the exhaust gases from pipe 21 and cause the diluted exhaust gases to be laterally discharged and dissipated through passage I3 and screen id to the outside atmosphere.

From the foregoing disclosure it is seen that I have provided an extremely effective means for not only preventing flames from having access to the air within the mine but also for cooling the heated exhaust gases and of insuring maximum dilution of the exhaust gases before being finally discharged and dissipated into the open mine air. My improved arrangement further prvoides for obtaining the foregoing results in a continuous and uniform manner over a long period of operation with minimum effort and attention on the part of the operator. The operator by merely occasionally rotating the disc shafts 35 and 59 of the labyrinths can readily keep the flow areas between the discs entirely clean which is particularly beneficial in insuring minimum back pressure on the exhaust side of the engine and minimum resistance to the flow of air to the intake side thereof. These features are very desirable. All of these results are accomplished in a structure which is relatively simple and economical in construction, operation and maintenance and is adapted to be conveniently and compactly arranged in the mine.

locomotive. The flame extinguishing tanks 22 and 24 can be conveniently and compactly disposed within the confinesof the locomotive v frame and without interfering with normal access to the engine or other portions of the locomotive.

It will of course be understood that various changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A safety control apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising a gas passage, a housing communicating with said passage, means forming within said housing a labyrinth of narrow passages communicating with said passage and through which the gas must flow, and means for cleaning said passages while said labyrinth forming means remains assembled.

2. A safety control apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising a gas passage, a housing communicating with said passage, means forming within said housing a labyrinth of narrow passages communicating with said passage, and through which the exhaust gas must flow, means cooperating with said labyrinth forming means for cleaning same, and means for effecting relative rotation between said labyrinth means and cleaning means to effect the cleaning action.

3. A safety control apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising a gas passage, a housing communicating with said passage, means forming within said housing a labyrinth of narrow passages communicating with said passage, and through which the gas must flow, said labyrinth forming means comprising discs rotatable about a common axis, and normally stationary blades disposed between and in engagement with the side surfaces of said discs so as to clean the same during disc rotation.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized by the provision of means whereby foreign matter cleaned from said labyrinth passages is accumulated in said housing and is removable therefrom.

5. A safety control apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising a housing having inlet and outlet openings adapted for communication with a gas passage of the engine, and means forming a labyrinth of narrow passages within said housing between said inlet and outlet openings whereby all gases must flow through said labyrinth, said labyrinth forming means including a rod and a plurality of discs supported on said rod substantially coaxially thereof.

6. A safety control apparatus for a gas passage of an internal combustion engine comprising a housing having inlet and outlet openings adapted for communication with said passage, said housing having spaced wall portions between which the gas flows from one opening to the other, and means forming a labyrinth of narrow passages including a series of thin members a portion of whose edges are disposed in close relation to said opposed walls of the housing while the remaining portion of the edges of said members are spaced a substantial distance from the walls of said housing.

7. A safety control apparatus for a gas passage in an internal combustion engine comprising a housing having inlet and outlet openings adapted for communication with said passage, said housing having spaced walls between which all gases must pass from one of said openings to the other, said walls having concave surfaces with a substantially common center of curvature, and means forming a labyrinth of narrow passages through which all gases must flow, said labyrinth forming means including a series of closely spaced members having circular edges disposed substantially in contact with said concave surfaces.

8. A safety control apparatus for a gas passage in an internal combustion engine comprising a housing having inlet and outlet openings adapted for communication with said passage, said housing having spaced walls between which all gases must pass from one of said openings to the other, said walls having concave surfaces with a substantially common center of curvature, means forming a labyrinth of narrow passages through which all gases must flow, said labyrinth forming means including a series of closely spaced members having circular edges disposed substantially in contact with said concave surfaces and a rod for commonly supporting said circular members, and cleaning means disposed between said members for relative movement thereto and supported at their inner ends by said rod.

' WILLIAM F. ECKERT. 

